We'll Always be Best Friends
by Tie Dye Pencils
Summary: We all know Zack Addy's past was tough. What would happen if he had a childhood friend-and, years later, that childhood friend resurfaced. Literally. (Rated T for some depressing stuff.)
1. Part 1 Chapter 1

**Hello, Bones fandom! This isn't my first fanfiction, but it is my first Bones fic and my first published fic!**

**The first part of the story is from Zack's past, and the second part is the present (around the time he got his hair cut). In case you were wondering, I did draw the cover. Anyways, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bones or Zack Addy. Abigail belongs to me.**

Zack Addy's first week of elementary school wasn't going very well. At first, he tried to be good, answer all the questions, and show the teacher he didn't belong in this school. He wanted to be home-schooled. He felt he was too smart for this.

It didn't turn out the way he wanted.

All the big kids (and little kids) thought he was a nerd, and said that his hand-me-down clothes made him look like a hobo. They called him other mean names, and those ones were most hurtful. Some of the bigger kids even started shoving and poking him. It made him feel bad. _I like my hand-me-downs_, he thought. _ They make me special._ At least, that's what his mother said. _And I am _not_ a weirdo. I'm just smarter than you._

Those thoughts made him feel a little better, but the mean things the other kids said still made him feel sad.

It was turning out to be the worst week of his life.

His least favorite part of the day was recess. Not only did he not like to play games (which the other kids also thought was weird), but also it was a time where either the other kids picked on him, or ignored him.

Zack preferred the latter.

However, he though the idea of recess-a time that came twice a day, where kids can get all the energy out so they can be ready to learn-was amazing. Most of the kids in his class were very rowdy, so they needed a "recess". Yet, they were still disruptive during class, which Zack thought was annoying.

He just wished there was someone who shared his love of learning-unlike most kids-and would accept him for his weirdness and hand-me-downs.

One day, at another lonely recess, while Zack was going through his Spanish conjugations in his head, (another thing the kids thought was weird), he noticed another person sitting on the bench precisely six and a half feet away (he measured it himself). He couldn't tell whether this person was a boy or a girl; it was hard to tell from the back. But they looked sad. Just as sad as he felt. The only thing he could make out was that their long hair was the most orange he had ever saw. In his family (and this school), there were mostly dark blondes and brown hair, so seeing another hair color caught him off guard. Oh, he knew they existed, he just didn't know there were any in Michigan.

Then, that person turned around. _Probably heard their name being called_, he thought. _Or they might tell me to "man up" and stop crying_. A lot of the big kids told him to "man up" when they saw him cry.

But no. This crying person was a _girl_. Not much of a surprise, most of the girls cried in his grade. Slowly, her dark blue eyes fell on his face, and for a moment, Zack was worried that she might say something mean to him. But he also hoped they would say something nice, too.

However, the next thing the crying girl did shocked him: she _waved_. At_ him_. Zack didn't know what else to do, so he waved back. That was the right thing to do. Right?

If that wasn't enough, she got up from her bench and WALKED. OVER. TO. HIS. She looked to be about his age, maybe even his grade. She wasn't very tall, but then again, neither was he. Neither was anyone in his grade.

She was wearing a denim skirt with a light blue shirt. Zack had to admit it suited her well. When she came closer (he was surprised she didn't have a disgusted look on her face. Yet), he noticed a small golden locket.

This girl probably hadn't heard that Zack was a freak and a hobo and all those other mean things. _Or maybe she has, but she doesn't want to listen to them, _a small voice in his head whispered to him. _Maybe she wants to get to know you._

"Hi," the girl said, sitting down on his bench. _HIS. BENCH._ "Why are you said?"

This girl was TALKING to him. _This must be a dream_, he thought. _It has to be. Maybe I'll wake up at home, Johnny yelling at me to give his encyclopedia back, school not even starting yet! Yeah!_

Naturally, he pinched the top of his hand to see if he really was dreaming (he read somewhere that the pinching helps you test whether you're awake or not).

He had almost forgotten about the girl sitting next to him. "What are you doing?" She streamed. "Stop! STOP!"

Gosh, girls could scream _so loud_. "It's ok," Zack said calmly, trying to soothe the girl, who was now crying, more violently than when he had seen her.. He almost said, _I'm trying to see if I'm asleep_, but she might take him seriously, as many people here don't. She might scowl at him. Or walk away. OR BOTH. "I'm sad because all the kids here are picking on me, calling me weirdo, and nerd, and _hobo_. They're even hurting me."

The girl nodded, as if she understood. _Maybe she does_, the voice said. "Why don't you tell your teacher about it? They'll help you, you know," she said sincerely.

"I tried that," Zack replied, not even realizing that he was actually having a conversation with someone who hasn't even made a comment about his clothes. He had actually talked to his teacher the day it started. "My teacher talked to the kids, but after he left, the kids started to pick on me again." He stopped, suddenly realizing that he forgot to ask the girl what was wrong. "Why are you sad?" he asked.

"I'm sad because," she started, then hesitated, as if thinking about what to say. "I'm sad because all the other kids are picking on me too, calling me weird because of my hair."

"Now that's just odd," Zack, wondered. "Why would they pick on you because of your _hair_? I think your hair is rather nice." Zack stopped. "But, uh, I'm sorry. I know what it's like. I live with three brothers and four sisters."

The girl's eyes grew large. "_Four_ sisters and _three_ sisters?! Wow, you must have a big house," she exclaimed. "Um, what's your name?"

"Zack. Zack Addy," Zack said simply.

Almost like magic, this girl's mouth dropped open in a smile. "That sounds a lot like Abby!" She exclaimed. "Well, that's my name. Abigail Zeckory, but you can call me Abby."

It was now Zack's turn to smile. "That sounds a lot like Zackary," he said.

Abby continued to smile. "Y'know Zack? If we become friends, we'll be 'A to Z'."

_Yes_, Zack thought, _that would be cool_. And somewhere, deep inside, Zack had a feeling they'll be great friends.

**Well, how was that? Did you like it? Be sure to tell me in the reviews!**

**So, I'll mostly be posting this on Thursdays, but if something comes up, I'll either update it on Wednesdays or Fridays. I hope to see you soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again everyone! I'm glad everyone liked the first chapter. I would personally like to thank daphrose, because you're too awesome for words, and OkieDokiLoki, for crowning me King of the Lab. Hodgins and Zack are so jealous. : 3 **

****One might say that this chapter is a "filler," but I believe every chapter is important. With that, enjoy! By the way, I do not own _To Kill a Mockingbird_. I just needed a book, and there was one. I also don't own Bones.****

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_Someone said something nice to me! Someone said something nice to me! _Zack couldn't believe his luck, even though there was no such thing.

After recess, Abby and Zack had to go their separate classes (he had Mrs. Kim. She had Mr. Franken.), but they both promised they'd eat lunch together. (Abby choose to buy her lunch, whereas Zack choose to eat his homemade Macaroni and Cheese.) When it was time to go home, Abby said bye to Zack, saying, "I hope I can see you tomorrow". Then, she got into a dark green pick-up truck (supposedly her parents'), and waved bye as the truck drove away.

Zack walked home. He lived nearby, and he liked the exercise. He thought that they needed physical education more than once a week. Plus, none of his siblings could drive yet, and so they either got rides from their parents, friends, or straight up walked home.

Five of his siblings still went to elementary school, but they choose to wait for their parents at school. Zack wanted to get a head start on what little homework he had.

As he walked home, he began to wonder what his siblings would think of Abby. _They might tease me_, he thought, _because she's a girl_. _Maybe they won't think she's real,_ but Zack immediately dismissed that thought. He wasn't really known to having a big imagination.

At last, he reached his house. It was a big house with lots of windows. "A big house for a big family," his mother had said, which was saying something. Family meant something to little Zack, and whenever he needed someone, no matter where he turned, there was someone there. Since elementary school, and the bullies, began, Zack had run home crying everyday. His siblings were happy to comfort him, but he could tell they were getting tired.

Today was different.

Today, he met someone who was nice to him. Today, he met a possibly new friend.

Today, he practically skipped home from school.

He was meet at the door by his older sister, Sarah, who was in the third grade. "Well, you seem happy today," she remarked. Even though Sarah was only nine years old, she was only a foot taller than him, with the same fluffy hair the whole Addy family obtained. "Did you finally get moved up a grade?"

"No, not today," Zack replied. "I meet a new friend."

Sarah's response to this was a wide smile. "Really?! That's cool, Zacky! What's his name? Is he nice? Here, let's go in and tell everyone!"

_Well, he's not a girl_, Zack started to say, but was cut off by his talkative sister. "Mikey, Johnny, and Heather are still at school, and Sammy and I were working on homework. Oh! I'll go get Elijah and Cadee! Guys! Guys, guess what?"

All of a sudden, three of Zack's siblings came racing through, from the living room, where they were (supposedly) doing their homework, to the dining room. "What's going on?" asked Sarah's twin sister, Sammy.

"Zack made a new friend!" Sarah shouted, hurting everyone else's ears. "Go ahead Zack," she said in a quieter voice. "Tell 'em."

Zack never had a problem with speaking with his siblings, but he didn't know what they would say when he told them about Abigail. "Um, my new friend is very nice," he started. "Her name is Abigail Zeckory, she has long, orange hair, and she is being picked on, like me."

Silence. _I guess they didn't think my friend would be a girl._

Elijah, who was only a year older than Zack, was the first one to speak. "Why was she being picked on?"

Zack relaxed. Elijah always asked the best questions. "She said she was being picked on because of her hair, but I thought she was lying."

"Why do you think she was lying?" Sammy asked.

"Well, I kind of saw her around the past few days, and I never saw any of the big kids being mean to her."

Cadee, the fourth grader, was silent. Like Zack, Cadee was bullied when she was his age. She knew what it was like to have everyone pick on her. She was the first person Zack went to when the hectoring started. And she cried with him.

Zack turned to his older sister. "What do you think at the subject at hand, Cadee?" Zack asked, trying to get his sister to talk.

Cadee was silent for another moment, then said, "Are you sure you can trust her? You two just met." Ever since Cadee was bullied, she has had trust issues with people outside her family. According to her, she was being "cautious."

This caught Zack off guard. "Well, of course I can! I mean…it's not like she's part of some secret cult of something."

"That's not what I mean, Zack. What I mean is, are you sure she won't stab you in the back or something?"

Now Zack was getting angry. "I can assure you, _Cadee_, that Abby is not a traitor. That doesn't even sound like something a first-grader would do and plus,

"Zack, calm down," Sarah reassured. "Cadee's just trying to look out for you. She doesn't want you to make the same mistakes she made."

"Now, that's not what I said…"

"Here, Zack, here's Johnny' copy of _To Kill a Mocking Bird_," Elijah offered. "Don't ask how I got it, just enjoy. Ok?"

Elijah handed him the book, and Zack said he needed some time alone. The older kids understood. They always knew how to cheer him up.

_This is the good part about having so many siblings_, Zack thought, as he opened the front door the patio. _ With so many minds, one will bound to be on your side._

He had already read _To Kill a Mockingbird_ twice, but the thought was nice. Plus, it could take his mind off of Abby.

Abby. Her could still picture her hair, face, clothes, everything. But that was natural. He had an eidetic memory which made him remember things for a few minutes.

What if Cadee was right? What if Abby was a fake? What if she didn't even like him at all? All these questions buzzed Zack's mind, making him unable to concentrate on _To Kill a Mockingbird_. He set it off to the side and sat in the silence for a few minutes. Then, he picked up the book again and set off to reading, but his mind kept wondering back to Abby.

After a few minutes, Zack had already gotten halfway through the book when his mother drove up. His older siblings would come home in his dad's car. "Hiya, Zacky-boo!" his mother greeted Zack; he didn't mind the nickname. "Did you have a good day at school?"

"Yes," Zack said, "I did. I made a new friend, and I'll tell you all about it at dinner."

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**How did you like it? Be sure to tell me in the reviews!**

**By the way, Zack never mentions what his siblings' names are, so, I improvised. But that's not important. **

**Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm trying to hide my "King of the Lab" crown from Hodgins and Zack. See you soon!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for the late update, everyone! Life and school got in the way, but let's hope I won't update this late again! **

**By the way, I fell as if this isn't my best chapter. I hope you enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bones or Zack Addy. Abby belongs to me.**

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When Zack and Elijah went to bed that night, the younger of the two couldn't stop thinking about the next day. "What if Cadee's right?" Zack kept asking. "What if Abby will not want to play with me tomorrow?"

"Let's face it, Zack," Elijah mumbled, "you really aren't much for playing."

"I know, but still! She might _suggest_ that we play, or she might not." Zack turned to his older brother. "What do you think, Eli?"

"I think you should go to sleep!" Elijah groaned, covering his face with a pillow.

Zack sighed, turning over to face the window. In the quiet of the house, he was left with only his thoughts. Eventually, thoughts the next day made him tired, and he slowly drifted off to sleep.

The following morning, Zack's mom dropped everyone off a few minutes earlier than usual. "I have a big conference I have to go to, kids," she had said, "so now you have a few minutes to play with your friends!"

Most of the kids hated going to school, which Zack thought was absurd. However, he was nervous about going to school today, partly because of Abby. But deep inside, he secretly wanted Abby to see him.

When everyone was let off, Zack was left alone to wander the school. There wasn't much to do. The swings were taken, the bigger kids dominated the playground, and the big plank in the ground was being used for wall ball.

Suddenly, he heard a faint shuffling behind him, which got louder and louder until he felt someone standing right behind him.

"Hello, Abigail," Zack said, turning around to see the messy mop of red that was Abby. She looked surprised to see that he knew it was her. "I wanted to surprise you!" She said. "And anyway, how did you know it was me?" she asked.

"I don't get surprised very easily." Zack said. "I heard your backpack shuffling, so there must be stuff rattling inside. And it might be too loose for you."

Abby's expression when to bewilderment to defensive. "It's my brother's old backpack," she said bitterly, "and he gave it to me as a first day of school present."

"That was nice of him," Zack returned, completely unaware of Abby's rising temper. "Is he still in school?"

"He's in middle school," Abby said sharply. Suddenly, she realized she was being very rude. "Sorry," she mumbled.

"About what?" Zack asked. He hated being the late one to know things.

"I'm sorry for being so rude."

Zack was still lost. "Uh, that's alright. But I still don't understand. You were being rude?"

Abby laughed nervously. "You're funny!"

"I wasn't trying to be humorous," Zack responded. "I was just…"

But, thankfully, the bell rang. "See you at recess, Zack," she called racing off to Mr. Franken's class.

_Gee_, he thought, _girls are so strange._ Yet Zack still stopped and considered what just happened. Maybe Abby was _looking_ for him. Zack smiled at this thought.

However, when he smiled, one of the bullies saw him. "What are you smiling at, _hobo_?" he barked. "Did your mommy give you a new pair of underwear?"

Zack wasn't in the mood for this, so he just ran off to his class. "Go ahead and run, coward!" he bellowed. "You'll get it someday. Just you wait and see!"

Zack ran and ran, until he was at Mrs. Kim's class. He knew it was fruitless to tell Mrs. Kim. Plus, there were other things to worry about: Abby, and her fickle personalities. He quickly made a goal to talk to her at recess while everyone was sitting for "circle time."

He just hoped she would still want to talk to him.

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At recess, when Zack went to his usual bench, he was surprised to see Abby already there.

"Hello again," Abby greeted, moving over to let Zack sit. It wasn't that small of a bench.

"Hello," Zack replied, sitting down.

After moment of silence, Abby asked, "Um, remember yesterday, where you said you had a lot of siblings?"

Zack remembered it clearly. "Yes. What about it?"

"Do you guys get along?" She almost sounded sad.

"Yes. Well, most of the time." Then Zack remembered he had to ask Abby something. "Uh, Abby, why were you acting so strange at the beginning of school?"

Abby's expression now contained grief. "Well, people tease me and tell me that my brother is a bad kid, and he's not, I know he isn't."

"Well, how would I know?" Zack asked, bewilderment in his voice. "I don't even know your brother."

"I know. I just…wanted to make sure, that's all."

Abby thought for a moment, and then asked, "Zack, do you have any plans after school?"

"No, not that I can think of. Why?"

"Would you like to come over?"

A look of puzzlement crossed over Zack's face. "Come over…where?"

"To my house."

"Uh…sure. I don't see why not. What would we do there?"

"Well," Abby explained, "I could show you my favorite book. I didn't bring it today because I didn't have room in my backpack."

Before Zack could answer, for the second time that day he was "saved by the bell". _Now I understand what that phrase means_, he thought. _But how am I going to answer Abby?_

As the two of them got up, Abby said, "You don't have to come over. I just thought it would be fun."

"No, I'd like to come over," Zack said. "I'll see you at lunch. Bye Abby."

When they both went to their separate classes, the truth struck Zack; he had never been to someone's house before, much less a girl's! He didn't know what to do!

When he got into Mrs. Kim's classroom, a quick idea came to him. He would have to be careful about this. He looked at the clock. _Yes_, he thought, _I have time._

As his classmates sat down, Zack raised his hand. "Mrs. Kim, may I please call my brother?"

"Whatever for, Zack?"

"I need advice."

Most of the kids started whispering and gigging. "Zack, you know you can always ask your teacher for advice," she said in a sweet, motherly voice.

"I know," Zack replied. Mrs. Kim and him stared at each other for a minute, then she sighed and pointed to the phone. "Dial nine before calling your brother, Zack."

"Thank you," he said before getting up and going to the phone. The class was entirely silence now, because no one had ever stood up to Mrs. Kim before.

After dialing the number, Zack waited patiently while the rest of the class went into "reading time." Finally, the other line answered. "Hello?"

"Hi Johnny. It's me, Zack."

"Zack?! What are you doing? Shouldn't you be in class?" The fifth grader scolded.

The younger Addy ignored the comment. "Johnny, I need advice."

"What for?"

"My new friend, Abby, asked me to come over to her house today, and I don't know whether I should go or not."

"Well, maybe you should. I mean, you could get to know her better."

"Thank you, Johnny. I'm probably going to be home a little late."

"That's ok, Zack-wait, did you say yes already?"

"Yes."

Silence on the other line. "Johnny?" Zack asked, hoping his brother wasn't in trouble.

"Zack, sometimes I don't understand you," Johnny said, muttered. "I gotta go. See ya when I see ya."

"Wait, you weren't in class?"

"No, I'm in the bathroom. Mr. Don is giving a big lecture, so thanks." And with that, Johnny hung up.

_No,_ Zack thought,_ thank you._

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**How did you like it? Be sure to tell me in the reviews!**

**Also, I heard season 10 aired last night…yeah.**

**See you soon!**


	4. Chapter 4

***Grumbles***** Another late update. I'm sorry. Next week, however, I will update on Thursday. I've already started the new chapter, so no long waits!**

**By the way, this chapter contains important, vital information for later in the story, especially Part 2. SO TAKE NOTES!**

**I do not own Bones or **_**The Wonderful Wizard of Oz**_**. Abby belongs to me. Enjoy!**

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After school, Zack met Abby by the swings, where they would then set out on their journey to Abby's house. "I live nearby," Abby said, "so we can just walk. I told my daddy at lunch that I would bring my new friend over, so he wouldn't have to drive me home. I can't wait for you to meet my parents."

"I can't wait either," Zack said, walking alongside Abby. "They must be nice."

Before the two were out of the school grounds, they nearly crossed paths with the bullies.

"Watch where you're going!" One of the not-so-mean bullies yelled. He was with the other bullies, but he wasn't as mean. _I guess they've been friends_, Zack thought.

When he told Abby this, she said, "Yeah, it's kinda sad. I mean, they're being followers, not leaders.

"Exactly," Zack agreed; he was glad that he was having a conversation with Abby.

"And, in twenty years or something, he'll be on of the goons of an evil warlord. Or something."

They fell into silence, then Zack asked, "How do you get to school in the mornings?"

"My daddy drives me," Abby answered. "What about you?"

"Well, my mom dives me and my siblings that still go here, and the kids who don't just walk to and from school."

Zack noticed that they were taking the same route to his house, as they had just passed a bright blue house-a familiar landmark to Zack. "Abby, where are we going?" Zack asked.

"My house," Abby giggled. "Did you forget already?"

"No," Zack said, "it's just…this is the route I use to get home from school." Zack then looked in the direction across the blue house too see a house with many windows. Abby followed his gaze. "And I believe that is my house."

After a moment, without even thinking, Abby ran to her house. When she came out, she was dragging a tall, slim woman with the same bright red hair as Abby. As Zack walked closer, Abby yelled, "Zack! Go and get your mom!"

"But Abby! My mom isn't home right now!"

"Then get your oldest sibling. Hurry!"

Zack did as her was told, running into the house on the right, bumping right into Cadee.

"Zack! Don't run, you'll hurt yourself!"

"I need you to come outside," was all Zack could muster. He, too, dragged his sister by the hand until they had reached the line that divided Abby's house from Zack's house.

"Cadee, this is my friend, Abby. Abby, this is my second-oldest sister, Cadee."

"Hi, Cadee," Abby smiled. Cadee returned the smile. Abby turned to her mom. "Mom, this is my new friend Zack. He lives next door."

"It's a please to meet you, Mrs. Zeckory," Zack greeted.

Abby's mom, who was looked a little shocked at the sudden events, said, "Well, hello, Zack. Abby has told me much about you."

"Mom, can Zack come over and play?" Abby asked, a plead to her voice.

"Abby, I'm glad that you're making new friends but…we're busy today," her mom said, exasperation in her voice.

"Mom, this is the only day this week that Zack is available." She turned to Zack. "Right, Zack?"

Clearly, Abby wasn't taking no for an answer. But Zack didn't think lying was best. Cadee was about to say something, when Zack said, "Yes, er, tomorrow, we have to see family. Right, Cadee?"

"Right," Cadee responded, giving her youngest brother a glare from the corner of her eye.

"Alright, fine," Abby's mom said, "but please don't stay long; it's late already, and Zack needs to be home…what time, Cadee?"

""Four o'clock is nice," Cadee said.

Abby's mom looked her watch. 3:15.

Finally, it looked like Abby and Zack won the battle. "Go. Have fun," Abby's mom said. "If you guys get hungry, come down anytime."

"Bye, Zack. I'll be next door if you need me," Cadee said, walking toward her house. "We'll talk about this later," she muttered to Zack.

As Abby and Zack ran into Abby's house and climbed the stairs, Abby couldn't stop giggling. "What's so funny?" Zack asked. "You _lied_ to your _mother_. And _I _to my _sister_."

"I know," Abby said, still smiling. "I just really wanted you to stay. We hardly ever have people over. Here's my room."

They had reached the top of the stairs, and Abby was pointing to a door with a big wooden A on the front. They were in the landing between Abby's room, a guest room with the door closed, and her parent's room. There seemed to be no sign that another child lived there.

Abby opened the door wide and let Zack in. There was a dollhouse, a small desk covered with toys, and a huge dresser, twice Abby's size. The only pictures Zack could see were posters of TV shows.

Abby went to the medium-sized bookshelf in the corner and pulled out a dark green book. "This is the book I told you about," Abby said, showing Zack the cover. _The Wonderful Wizard of Oz_ read the title. "It's my favorite book," Abby went on.

"Abby," Zack interrupted, "can I, uh, use your bathroom?"

"Oh, sure," Abby said. "Down the hall, to the left."

"Thank you," Zack said as he left the room and went the direction Abby told him to go. In reality, he didn't have to go to the bathroom. He wanted to investigate.

He tiptoed cautiously toward the guest bedroom. He reached out for the doorknob, unsure of what he would find in there. His hand grasped the cold metal, and, as he turned it, he could hear the mechanism inside clicking and turning.

Inside was an empty room, with small boxes and nails. Zack would have taken a few minutes to see inside the boxes, but he didn't have bionic x-ray vision. Plus, Abby was calling him.

"Zack! Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Coming!"

Abby was sitting on the floor, _The Wonderful Wizard of Oz_ positioned across from her.

"Abby, where is your brother?" Zack questioned.

She was obviously taken aback by the question. "Well," she said, but stopped. She nervously looked toward the book. Finally, she said, "I don't want to talk about it."

"That's ok," Zack said, trying to comfort Abby. "You can tell me another time."

Abby nodded, still silent. Finally, she asked, pointed to her book, "Do you want me to read this to you?"

Zack agreed, and the two read until four o'clock. By four o'clock the two had read to chapter five of _The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. _ It was a great book. However, according to Zack there is no such thing as a cyclone taking a house to another world. "You need to rest the rest of the books. I think they'll make more sense," Abby had said.

While they were reading, Zack noticed that Abby seemed to be happier, now that they weren't talking about her brother.

It felt good to "hang out" with Abby, and Zack was sad to leave. "Maybe I can come over to your house tomorrow?" Abby asked.

"I'll ask my parents," Zack said, waving good-bye to Abby as he walked across the dividing line between the two houses.

The best part about the day was that Abby _wanted_ to hang out with him. It felt so nice.

The only thing that puzzled Zack was that there wasn't a sign that another human being-besides Abby and her parents-lived there, besides the boxes. Had her brother lived there? _Maybe he's in college_, but Zack immediately dismissed that idea. After all, Abby had said that he was in middle school. _But shouldn't middle school be out of school for the day?_ It was strange.

And soon, it'll only get stranger.

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**Well, how was it? Not my best, but I am proud of a bit of it. And, yeah, the evil warlord thing. I don't know. I just thought of it.**

**The whole "bionic x-ray" thing is a tribute to my friend daphrose! Go check out her stories!**

**Anyways, be sure to tell me if you liked it and why in the reviews!**


	5. Chapter 5

**TIE DYE PENCILS! For being late on your updates and not really doing so well, for punishment, you're going to have to be in a room with Steven Moffat!**

**Nooo…actually, that doesn't sound **_**too**_** bad.**

**Fair warning, this is a bit of a filler chapter. I hope you enjoy anyways! I do not own Bones or Zack Addy. Abby is mine.**

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Ever since that day, Abby and Zack (or A-Z between the two of them) had met every morning by the big tree before going to their separate classes. Then, they would meet up at their usual bench at the first recess, and at second recess they would play by the playground, because all the big kids would still be eating their lunches.

They had started playing out _The Wonderful Wizard of Oz_. Abby, by default, was Dorothy, and Zack played the Scarecrow. They would just pretend that someone else was there to play the Tin Man.

But today, Abby wasn't in any of those places.

She wasn't by the tree, or the bench, or even the playground. After school, Zack had gone over to their house, but their car was gone and the lights were out. "They could be somewhere, Zack," Elijah remarked.

"Abby would have told me," Zack mumbled.

The next day, Zack decided to go to Mr. Franken's classroom during recess to see why Abby was absent.

"I'm sorry Zack, Abby isn't here," Mr. Franken said. "Her parents called her in sick. She had something that's been going around."

"The influenza. One of my sisters has it," Zack replied. He had made sure his parents gave him a flu shot-but not all his siblings agreed to do so. Thus, Sammy was not at school today.

Mr. Franken looked taken a back at Zack's response. "How do you know its full name?" he asked, his fake teacher's voice loosing its charm.

"Well, I asked my father, and he told me." Zack said, stealing a quick glance outside, excepting to see Abby out on their bench.

"Well, either go and play with the other kids, or play by yourself, Zack. Abby won't be here for a few days. Maybe a week."

_A few days? Maybe a WEEK?!_ Zack didn't think he could make it without Abby for a week. The bullies would get for him for sure.

Instead of arguing, Zack went outside and sat on his and Abby's bench. He watched the other kids play without him. No one came and asked to play with him. No one even looked over at him. He felt like crying.

Today was one of the worst days of his life.

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When Zack went home, he saw Abby's dad's green pick-up truck in her driveway. He felt the urge to knock on the door and ask if Abby was available. And so he did.

Abby's mom answered the door. "Hello, Mrs. Zeckory. I didn't see Abby at school and I came by to see if she was ok."

"That's very kind of you, Zack. Abby's got the flu; she isn't feeling well. Thank you for stopping by, though."

When Mrs. Zeckory tried to close the door on Zack, he put up his foot as a doorstop. "I was wondering if I could see her," Zack continued.

"Zack, she's sick," Mrs. Zeckory explained slowly, as if she were talking to a child of low intelligence. "You might get sick too."

"I know."

After that, Mrs. Zeckory demanded that Zack leave and go to his own house, or she would call his mother. Zack left with his head cast downward. When he got home, Sarah was waiting by the door for him. "Did you get to see Abby?" she asked.

Zack shock his head and went inside. _What to do_, he asked himself. All of his other siblings had homework or were playing with their friends. There was no one for Zack to play with.

Suddenly, he had an idea. He ran to the downstairs bathroom, where, since Sammy got the flu, there were surgeon's masks, so that Sammy wouldn't cough on the other kids. Zack gabbed on and fixed it behind his ears. Then, when no one was at the door, Zack crept out and trudged across the dividing line between the two houses.

When he got to Abby's front door, he knocked again, hoping that Mrs. Zeckory would agree to his plan.

Abby's mother answered the door again. When she saw the surgeon's mask on Zack's face, she chuckled. "Come on in, Zack," she greeted. "I'm sure Abby will be glad to see you."

Zack had memorized the Zeckory's house, so he knew where Abby's room was. When he saw the door with the A on it, he knocked.

"I don't want any more soup, mom," came the answer.

Zack couldn't help giggling. "I'm not your mother," he said, his voice muffled by the surgeon's mask.

"Well, who are you?"

Zack opened the door to a dark, quiet bedroom. Abby was on her bed, many covers thrown over her. There was a bowl of soup with not much eaten out of it.

Abby looked over at Zack and started to laugh, which immediately went to coughing. "Why are you here?" she asked between coughs.

Zack thought about his answer. Finally, he said, "I missed you today. And yesterday." He went over to the bookshelf and pulled out the dark green book. "I thought I'd read to you," he continued.

Abby smiled. "Thanks, Zack," she said.

Zack returned the smile, and began to read. He read to her until four o'clock, until it was time for Abby to take a her medicine and Zack to go home.

Yet, Zack felt really good about what he just did. He hoped that things would stay like this: him and Abby. Abby and him.

Didn't everybody?

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**How did you like it? Be sure to tell me in the reviews! **

**Yeah, kind of a feel-good chapter. To be honest, the idea looked better in my mind. Next week's though. Next week's. (****Clearly has no plan****)**


	6. Chapter 6

*** Peeps out from behind rock I have been living under forever ***

**Ah, hello, new and old followers. You may notice that this chapter is very, VERY late. Life, I'm afraid, has gotten in the way. So, my updates for this story will be very ****sporadic. **

**However, I have other plans for future fics, though they are mostly in development. I am also working on an original story, so you can check it out when I post it on FictionPress.**

**And with that, here is a (late) update for WABF!**

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October always had a strange air to it; maybe it was Halloween. Maybe it was the pumpkins. Maybe it was the costumes. Maybe it was all that candy.

Whatever it was, Zack had noticed that the mysterious air seemed to get stronger whenever he was at Abby's house. Maybe it was the empty room that was supposedly her brothers'. Maybe it was the fact the Zack never saw Abby's father, only his car. Or, maybe it was the fact that Mrs. Zeckory was so reluctant for Zack to come over.

It was been weeks after Zack had come over to comfort Abby when she had the influenza; she was feeling better now.

A few weeks before Halloween, Abby came to school happier than usual. "Great news, Zack!" Abby greeted, running up to the big tree. "My big brother is coming home for the weekend! You should come and meet him, he's really nice!"

"I should ask my parents," Zack replied, "but I don't see why not."

"Who's your brother?"

Zack and Abby turned to see a tall kid wearing a dark grey coat behind them. They immediately recognized him as the bully who took orders from his friend. "I said who's your brother?" he demanded.

"His name is Grayson Zeckory," Abby replied slowly, unsure of what else to say.

"The Zeckorys, huh?" the bully said, thinking hard. Or it _looked_ like he was thinking hard. Suddenly, he leaned in closer, until he was just their height. "My parents say the Zeckorys are in some sort of problem," he said after a moment. "Like, a financial problem. Or was it a problem with their son? I can't remember so well."

Abby looked flustered. "Well, whatever your parents say, it isn't true. Grayson is a great son and a great brother."

"Then why is he away all the time?" the bully asked softly.

At this, Abby started to cry. "You're so mean!" she wailed. "You're always picking on the little kids and saying bad things!"

At last, the bully had gotten the reaction he came for. He leaned back, satisfied with his actions. "Just remember," the bully grinned evilly, "your family's in trouble, and you know it." At this, he walked away.

Abby cried harder. Without even thinking, Zack wrapped his arm around Abby. "YOU GUYS ARE BIG MEANIES!" he bellowed. "YOU ONLY CARE FOR YOURSELVES, AND DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT YOUR ACTIONS!" This only made the bullies laugh.

"Zack, they won't listen to you," Abby sniffed. "They'll never listen to you."

"Well, at least your brother will be here for the weekend," he recalled, hoping the comment would cheer Abby up.

Abby sniffed again. "Yeah, I guess. You won't tell anyone about what just happened, will you?"

"Of course not, Abby," he responded.

As the week drew nearer, Abby couldn't sit still. They were almost finished acting out _The Wonderful Wizard of Oz_, and they had started looking for the next book to act out. However, that required sitting in the library for hours upon hours, and, as the saying went, Abby "had ants in her pants."

Which was weird for Zack. Why would someone want to have _ants_ in their _pants_?

Thankfully, they had had no more encounters with the bully. Zack had been pondering and pondering about what the bully had said. What did he mean, "the Zeckory's had a bad son"?

Finally, Friday came. Like all kids, Abby and Zack rushed out to the sidewalk on their usual route home. Since Abby had heard the news about her brother, she _could not_ stop talking about him.

"He's real swell, Zack," she said, passing the bright blue house. "He's really smart, and he likes to play sports, and—there he is!"

Abby pointed cheerfully to a tall figure standing by the Zeckory's door, hands in his pockets. His short curly hair was just like Abby's, only a little darker. In fact, he looked a lot like Abby.

Abby went running up to her brother; when he saw her, a big smile crossed his face; he swooped her up into his arms, he grabbing onto her hips, her hands on his shoulders.

"How've you been, Gail?" the taller redhead asked. Suddenly, his eyes went big. "Whoa! Have you grown last time I've seen you?" he asked jokingly.

_Gail? That's a weird nickname_, Zack thought. He, unlike the Zeckorys, felt very unsure in this situation. He did not know how to react to meeting Abby's brother. Surprised? Scared? Awe?

Zack casually cough loud enough to heard over the excited squeals and giggles. "Oh, Grayson," Abby said, noticing Zack's cough, "meet my new friend, Zack Addy. He lives right next door, and he's really smart. We've read _The Wizard of Oz_, and we need someone to be the lion."

"T-t-the lion?" Grayson said, making a show of his feigned stutter. "I-I-I don't know i-if I have any courage…" This made Abby laugh, as it was a very good impression of the Cowardly Lion. "Sure, I'll play with you. Let me just say hi to Mom and Dad."

Carrying his sister, he ambled over the door. Before he reached it, he turned to Zack and said, "Sorry for my bad manners, Zack. I'm Grayson Zeckory. It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you to, Grayson. Abby's told me _a lot_ about you."

Grayson smiled. He seemed to smile a lot. Zack could see there were lines in his face he smiled so much.

Before Grayson could open the door, his mother opened it from the other side. She did not look pleased to see her son, though Grayson could not see. Or he chose not to.

"Hi, mom," Grayson grinned, "it's good to see you again."

Mrs. Zeckory took no trouble hiding her frown. "Your father will be home any minute." She turned toward Zack. "Zack, I think you should go home now. This is a…" she took a minute choosing her words, "…a _family_ get-together."

"But _MOM!_" Abby yelled from her brother's arms, "can't _we_ count Zack as family? He comes here _every day_ now."

"Abigail Louise Zeckory, don't you dare take that tone with me." Mrs. Zeckory turned to Zack again. "Zack, sweetie, I really think it's wise for you to go home."

Zack himself wanted to argue—he only met Grayson a few minutes ago—but Zack understood the reason Mrs. Zeckory wanted the family to be alone. There was a note of desperation in her voice. He reluctantly told Grayson and Abby good-bye and headed off to his own house.

Throughout the night, the Zeckory's kitchen light never once shut off. And, even as he and Elijah went to bed, he could swear he heard yelling in the house next door.

The next day, Abby came to school with tears in her eyes.

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**Ooh, cliffhanger! Greatest apologies! I feel that this was a bit rushed at the end, but this was mostly just an "I'm not dead" thing. ^^'**

**What did you think of this chapter? Be sure to tell me in the reviews! Here are a few questions:**

**What do **_**you**_** think of Abby's brother?**

**2\. What was that mysterious thing Grayson did?**

**IMPORTANT NOTE: I will be on hiatus for the following moths until I get a chance to write again. After WABF, there is another big project I want to start on, plus some smaller stories. Then, I want to write a really cool Christmas story, which I plan on writing during the summer (since I have the most time then). So, you guys will have to sit through a cliffhanger. Hey, that gives you time for theories!**

**Bye for now!**


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